


The Gulf of Monsters

by ThatMasterOnline



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-10-06 14:07:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17346605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatMasterOnline/pseuds/ThatMasterOnline
Summary: “Look at them,” A voice growled beneath the waves, its brown-haired owner glaring up at the offending ship, red tail swishing angrily, “Fucking humans think they own the whole damn ocean.”“Well, then,” a second voice said, gray tail swishing excitedly, “Let’s go show ‘em who owns this part of the sea.”





	1. Swept Away by the Wind

**Author's Note:**

> Mermaid Hank and Gavin, human Connor and Richard. That is all. Tagging just about every character because I don't know where this is going to go.

The Gulf of Monsters. That’s what it was called to anyone who went out on the water. It had always been a place fisherman and the like tended to skirt around, as attacked ships and rumors of sea monsters had made the area something of a local ghost story. Recently though, the rumours had run rampant, because ships that passed the borders of the Gulf of Monsters stopped returning. Floating debris from the vanished ships started washing ashore, and the rumours became more than rumours with the fallen ships and rising death toll as evidence. Seafaring folk starting avoiding the Gulf of Monsters altogether as it became more and more apparent that there was something there that did not want to be disturbed.

Like most anyone who went out on the water, Richard and Connor Anderson avoided the Gulf of Monsters. Not that they believed in murderous sea monsters or anything, but that many ships sinking likely meant there were invisible undersea mountains or something. Richard and Connor were far from expert navigators, so they avoided the area either way. To anyone who knew them, Richard and Connor were recreational fishermen. The reality was that they were two brothers who wanted to get away from the world. Connor, at twenty-six, was a Lieutenant for the local police force. His brother Richard, a year his senior, had recently been promoted to Detective. 

Despite the year’s difference in their ages they looked nearly identical, with the only real difference being Richard’s slightly sterner-looking face and narrower eyes. Connor always had a wide-eyed, friendly look on his face with the personality to match, and that made him well-liked among his coworkers. Richard’s stern face, logical and analytical demeanour, cold personality, and general overprotective attitude when it came to his younger brother made him more of a lone wolf at the station. At work, they rarely had time to see eachother, unless they were collaborating on a case. At home, they were inseparable. If Connor called in sick, Captain Fowler knew to book Richard off as well, knowing full well he’d spend the day taking care of his brother.

As much as their personalities varied, they did have one thing in common: their need to get away from people from time to time. The two brothers had inherited their father's fishing boat when he passed but, both of them being fully qualified policemen by then, neither saw the need to carry on the family business. Instead, they used the boat to go out on the water and get away from the world. They both knew how to fish, but they caught the fish and put them back if they did. For the most part going out was about relaxing and enjoying eachother’s company. Today, they were doing just that. 

It was a warm day today, enough that even the breeze from the sea couldn’t cut the heat from the sun. Richard and Connor were out on their boat just enjoying the sun and their bottles of nonalcoholic beer. It wasn’t as bad as people thought, the beer. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad, either. With their beers finished, they spent their time relaxing in the sun, enjoying the weather. This really was perfect, laying back on the deck, the sun warming their skin, the gentle rocking of the boat coaxing them farther and farther into sleep’s gentle hold...They’d get up and go back in a few minutes. Just a few more minutes…

With nobody to steer the boat Mother Nature took the helm. The gentle breeze pushed the boat back, and as the hours ticked on and the two brothers continued to sleep, the boat drifted farther and farther off-course until at gently drifted over the border of the Gulf of Monsters, something that did not go unnoticed despite the boat’s lack of speed or a motor to power it.

“Look at them,” A voice growled beneath the waves, its brown-haired owner glaring up at the offending ship, red tail swishing angrily, “Fucking humans think they own the whole damn ocean.”

“Well, then,” a second voice said, gray tail swishing excitedly, “Let’s go show ‘em who owns this part of the sea.”

***

Thump.

Richard stirred, groaning and shifting in his sleep.

THUMP.

Connor inhaled sharply, eyes fluttering open as Richard groaned again and moved to stand.

BAM!!

The boat jolted sharply, knocking Richard off his feet and onto his back. Sharing a glance, Richard and Connor scrambled to the side of the boat to see what was causing the jolting.

They saw two shocked pairs of eyes staring back at them first.

And then they saw the tails.


	2. Meeting

Richard gasped. Connor yelped and fell backwards onto his butt. When he crawled his way back to edge of the boat to find the mermen were still there, his mouth dropped open in utter disbelief. 

“...The fuck do you think you’re doing here?” The merman with the gray tail snapped, finally seeming to recover himself. He had chin-length gray hair, a muscular body, and what clearly was supposed to be grouchy glare on his face. It looked a little bit more like he was struggling to keep his jaw off the floor. Or...keep his jaw off the seafloor. Richard and Connor shared another dumbfounded glance before Connor started to stammer out an answer.

“It...it was an accident,” he stuttered, “We fell asleep, we didn’t realize where we were until...until we woke up.” Ships that passed the border of the Gulf of Monsters never came back. These mermen were definitely hostile. Connor didn’t want to accuse them of anything, even waking them up.

They...fell asleep? In a boat? In the middle of the ocean? These humans weren’t hostile, they were just dumb. Falling asleep on the ocean where the weather could change in an instant was probably the stupidest thing they could do, more so for a species that couldn’t survive in the water. Even for Hank, who had once swum to the surface and gotten beached, that was a new level of stupid. Hank could barely even find the energy to berate them, because he was transfixed, staring at the two brothers in awe. In particular, he stared at the...the one on the left. The...cuter one.

He had this stupid tuft of hair that looked ridiculous, but he wanted to touch it so badly, just to see if it felt as soft - stupid, he meant stupid -  as it looked. And that stutter was so...not adorable. He clearly was the more timid of the two, and that made Hank want to wrap his arms around him and - ...crush him to death. Of course. He didn’t...he was not attracted to this stupid, timid, stuttery...human! He was not attracted to a human!

“Well...what kind of idiot falls asleep on a boat? Humans can’t breathe underwater, if I remember correctly. Do you really expect me to believe that you-SUMO! GET DOWN FROM THERE!!” Hank had just noticed a red octopus - his pet - climbing up the side of the boat. When it reached the top and wrapped an arm around the younger human, he yelped, but made no move to pull back.

“Connor, is it hurting you?” The older one demanded urgently. Ah, so the younger one’s name was Connor. It was a nice name...as shitty human names went.

“No, it’s...I think it just wants to say hello. Uh...hey there, big guy...how are you?” Dear RA9, this human was ridiculous. And Sumo clearly loved it, climbing up onto the human’s back and perching himself there like the self-entitled little shit he was. Now it was Hank’s turn to be embarrassed.

“Uh, that...that’s Sumo. He’s my...octopus. He...he likes you.” Sumo jiggled, lazily wrapping more of his arms around Connor while the older brother looked on with apparent worry.

It was right around this time that Hank realized his partner Gavin hadn’t so much as made a peep through all of this. Given Gavin’s hot-headed nature, this was a bit of a shock. He’d expected Gavin to be the first one insisting they sink the damn ship anyway. Glancing over, Hank saw that Gavin was staring, utterly transfixed, at the nameless older brother. His tail was flexing and unflexing in traditional mating patterns. The movements were meant to impress the potential partner with the strength and flexibility of the tail, and thus their superior swimming ability - and by extension the ability to protect their partner. The fact that Gavin was performing the mating dance for a human was absolutely laughable. Unfortunately, it was right about then that he realized that he looked at the young brother, Connor, and he started doing it too. Oh, RA9, they were in love with humans.


	3. Introductions

He was just about to tell Gavin to get over himself when he spoke.

“So, uh...tall guy...what’s your name?” Richard looked startled.

“...My name is Richard.”

“That’s, uh...that’s a nice name.” He’d never felt like this before, it was strange. Gavin was never out of sorts, never at a loss for words...but here he was, attempting what was quite possibly the world’s worst attempt at flirting ever. He couldn’t help himself, the human just had this professional, put together look that Gavin was very interested in seeing come undone, species differences be damned. But he had to admit, being from different species certainly did leave him short on conversation starters...except the obvious.

“You...probably have some questions. I, uh...happen to have some answers.” He said those words with a smirk and a raise of his eyebrows, and Richard finally caught on.

Holy shit he’s flirting with me.

“Just a few,” Richard admitted, “Is this...are you why the Gulf of Monsters is so dangerous?” Even Connor, who was still occupied with Sumo, was listening for the answer to Richard’s questions.

“This is our home!” Gavin snapped, “and you come in here and tear shit up like you fucking own the place, and I’ve had enough!” Great job, Gavin, you lost the cool guy act already. He took a breath and tried again.

“We...we live here. At the bottom of the sea. And besides, more ships mean more homes for our community. Good job, idiot, he probably knew some of those bodies you had to get rid of before people could start moving in. Can you get anymore insensitive?

“Oh…” There was a lengthy pause, during which Gavin definitely started to squirm.

“And...are there a lot of you? Or just you two?”

“There’s...a fair few. Like...I dunno, a hundred or so?”

“And you’re...you’re all...mermen. Merpeople.” Gavin made a proud sound of acknowledgement, flipping his tail up out of the water to show off how it sparkled in the sun.

“We’re, uh...pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.” Hank personally thought Gavin was laying it on a little thick, showing off his tail, but Richard seemed thoroughly impressed. Would Connor be impressed if he did the same thing? 

“Both mermen, see?” He said, flipping his gray tail up for Connor to see. Yeah, Connor was definitely smiling now. Score one for the old guy, he’s still got it. 

“So...um...We’re sorry we sailed into your home,” Connor said timidly. Hank and Gavin both shared a glance.

“Hey, don’t sweat it kid,” Hank said, “How about next time you wanna meet just...stop along the outside, instead of passing the border?”

“Next time? Oh, uh...sure. When...when should we come back?”

“Oh, you know…whenever you’re in the area? Just drop on by, don’t be a stranger.”

“Oh...alright…” Richard and Connor both shared a glance, looking between themselves and the mermen. A lot of emotions were fighting for dominance, in both of them, and Hank and Gavin could see it was time to take their leave. The fact that mermen existed was a big revelation, they both knew that. Poor humans needed time to cope with the fact that they weren’t the only sentient species on the planet. ...Gavin mentally smacked himself for thinking like that. Hadn’t he been shocked at humans the first time he saw one? Besides, he didn’t want to come on too strong with his attraction to Richard, he might scare him off. He didn’t want that. If they needed time to process, they needed time to process, and that meant it was time to go.

“Hey, uh, one more thing before we go,” Gavin said, “Don’t...don’t tell anyone about us, got it? We...we really like being left alone.” Richard nodded, as did Connor.

“Sumo?” Hank called, “...Come on down, boy. Time to go home.” Sumo came reluctantly, but Hank could swear he heard Connor mutter a goodbye as Sumo left. ...Sweet kid. Even friendly to octopodes. Richard and Connor vanished towards the center of their ship to turn around and head towards shore. Gavin and Hank watched them go, then turned and dove back underwater to go back home.


	4. Parting

“Mermen…” Connor breathed.

“Mermen…” Richard murmured in agreement.

“The one with the gray tail was handsome…” Connor admitted with a blush.

“And way too old for you?” Richard added, making Connor redden further.

“I don’t think age really matters when you’re dating a creature from an entirely different species.” Richard smirked.

“...Who said anything about dating? We just met them. ...Still though...That other one…” Now it was Connor’s turn to poke fun at his lovestruck brother.

“Admit it, you thought he was cute,” he teased.

...And that marked Richard’s turn to flush.

***

“Well, uh...Sorry, Hank, I gotta get home.”

“Home for what? You live alone!”

“I...I gotta...take care of some business.”

“What business?”

“Just...stuff.”

“What stuff? I’m not letting you leave until you tell me!”

“It...uh...it...Fine, alright!” he relented, cracking under the glare Hank was giving him, “I was gonna...gonna...uh…” He made claws with his hand and moved it through the water, starting towards the bottom of his tail and then moving up to his hips. Hank made a face and turned away.

“Ugh, you’re so fucking disgusting!” he snapped, “Fucking go then, you perv! RA9…”

***

“Connor! Richard! Thank God! You were gone for hours, I was just about to send out a search party!” That was Tina Chen, a friend of the brothers who ran the Marina. Being from a small town, and given the recent disappearances, she made it a point to take note of anyone who left from her docks and when they planned on coming back. Because of her, disappearances were reported sooner. ...Now Richard and Connor knew there was no point. Everyone who had vanished was dead.

“Sorry, Tina,” Connor said sheepishly, smiling, “We fell asleep.”

“Fell asleep?! Assholes, I thought you were getting eaten by seamonsters!”

“Tina, you need to stop listening to those ghost stories,” Richard said with a sigh, “There’s no such thing as sea monsters. Like I said, it’s probably just an undersea mountain or something.”

“Then how come nobody ever made it to shore, huh?” “Can you honestly say that anybody except us has all the required safety gear?”

That shut her up.

***

The next day at work, everyone seemed shocked that they were even there.

“But...Tina said…” Connor sighed and Richard rolled his eyes.

“We were not eaten by sea monsters, “Richard snapped, irritated, “Enough of this sea monster nonsense!”

Still, Richard and Connor were both out of sorts. They’d known some of the people that had gone missing, and to think that they were attracted to the people that had killed them...it was a disturbing thought. They both shared guilty glances when the subject of the sea monsters - still the only ‘real’ topic of conversation - came up. They had promised not to say anything...and besides, they weren’t stupid. If they said anything, there would be a manhunt. Hank, Gavin, and the other merpeople would never be able to live in peace. Hell, they’d probably all be killed. The thought of Hank and Gavin having their lives completely destroyed was so upsetting that they both clamped their mouths shut. All they wanted was to be left alone. That, they could respect. Nobody sailed to the Gulf of Monsters anymore, and neither Richard nor Connor would upset that to give the families closure. By now, they’d probably given up hope, anyways. Richard found himself wondering how they’d survive the day at work, burdened with this knowledge, but thankfully he didn’t have to wonder for long. Shortly after ten am, just shy of two hours after they got to work, Connor (always the more sensitive of the two, no matter how much he tried to deny it) burst into tears. Richard got up and practically ran to his brother, and the chief just waved them away with a sigh. They didn’t need an excuse.

“Knew I shouldn’t’ve let them come to work,” he grumbled to himself. After they’d been potentially reported missing, the chief had known something had gone down, whether or not they wanted to talk about it. Here was his proof. Still, he made it a point not to pry, not in this town where everybody knew everything, so he let them have their secrets. With a relieved sigh and a halfhearted apology (he wasn’t going to pretend he wasn’t grateful to have an excuse to leave work), Richard helped his sobbing brother out to the car and drove him home.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it!” Connor wailed as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot, “I wanted to tell them so bad, but if I did, Hank and Gavin…”

"I know,” Richard replied soothingly, “You don’t need to explain yourself. I’m feeling the same way you are, alright? Let’s just take it easy for a couple of days. Maybe we can go out and see them again sooner or later.” Connor nodded, unable to speak.


	5. Getting closer

“Sooner or later” turned out to be about a week. They took their boat out, much to Tina’s chagrin.

“If you go missing again, I’m not letting you leave my marina by boat ever again!” Tina snapped. Richard excused them both by saying Connor had had a nervous breakdown and needed time off. They didn’t know when they’d be back. 

When they arrived, they parked their boat right beside the Gulf of Monsters, near the entrance but careful not to accidentally go around and pass it. Minutes turned into an hour, and the brothers shared anxious glances. They hadn’t set a meeting time...how would Hank and Gavin know they were there? They couldn’t exactly spend days waiting...Would they keep missing eachother? Should they leave a note? ...Did mermen read English? Probably not. 

Connor peered over the side of the boat, scanning the water for any sign of movement. Just as Connor was about to give up hope and tentatively suggest they head home, Hank burst out of the water.

“BOO!!” he shouted, making sure to splash Connor with his tail on the way by, and Connor outright shrieked and threw himself backwards, landing on his butt for the second time in only two encounters. When Hank resurfaced, he was laughing boisterously, and Gavin joined in with him as he too surfaced.

“Man, that was great!” Gavin gushed, “Your face!” He burst into another fit of laughter as Richard helped his brother to his feet.

“That was mean,” Connor insisted, but he didn’t seem terribly put out. He gave up trying to be angry when Gavin’s infectious laughter put a slow smile on Richard’s face.  

“Kid, don’t look so anxious,” Hank said, leaning back (and definitely not showing off his tail in the process), “You gotta lighten up.”

“We didn’t know if you were coming!” Connor protested, “We were just about to leave!”

“Ah, relax, kid, we’re not the city guards for nothing.”

“We see everything that goes anywhere near our borders!” Gavin piped up proudly, “Of course we knew you were here! And, uh...we’re glad you decided to come back.”

“...Well…” Richard said, starting to flush, “Of course we wanted to come back…” Gavin’s tail curled.

“That’s...that’s great. How...how was...life? You know, on land.” Connor’s face fell, and Hank pinched Gavin’s tail in retaliation. Gavin barely noticed, because Richard’s face had fallen as well, though mostly, Gavin guessed, in response to his brother’s distress. Richard was very protective of Connor, but they looked too much alike for it to be a romantic bond. Besides, with that flush a few seconds ago? Richard was definitely into him.

“...It’s been...awkward…” Richard said lamely, and Connor nodded.

“It’s...it’s hard, knowing what happened to everyone (Gavin winced) and not being able to give the families closure, but...but thinking about what would happen to you if we did tell anyone is even worse.” Hank nodded sagely, dipping down below the water briefly before he jumped up to hang off the edge of the boat. Gavin dipped too and did the same thing.

“Well hey,” Hank said, looking into Connor’s eyes, “You’re preserving our way of life. You know that’s something. I dunno if I can express it well, but we all know what would happen if humans found out about us. It was a big leap for us, trusting you to keep our secret, and...we’re glad you did. For what it’s worth, I am sorry, for those people, and their families. We’re not heartless bastards, you know, we just...We gotta protect our own.” Connor nodded, and Hank reached up to ruffle his hair.

“Cheer up, kid. It’s all gonna turn out alright, I promise.” Connor nodded, and Richard spoke up.

“I...that is...We’re very glad to have met you. And...thank you for not killing us.”

“Hey, anytime,” Gavin said with entirely too much bravado, flushing with embarrassment immediately after, and Richard smiled, as did Connor. 

“Think before you open your mouth, Gavin, you might actually get to dig in the sand with him.” Richard wasn’t familiar with merperson figures of speech, but the tone with which Hank said it, the fact that he was being referenced, and the fact that Gavin flushed deeper and averted his eyes after, made him think that “dig in the sand” meant something similar to “fuck”. Briefly, he wondered if digging in the sand was a regular part of sex between merpeople. He cleared his throat, looking away and trying to pretend he wasn’t just imaging merperson sex. Connor opened his mouth like he wanted to ask what Hank was talking about, but thankfully thought better of it. Neither of them seemed keen on enlightening them, anyway.

“Moving on,” Hank said after a long, awkward pause, “What do you do? On land? How do you live?” It seemed the curiosity that had always drawn Hank to humans in his younger days, before...before, still hadn’t dissipated. Connor shared a glance with his brother, unsure how to answer.

“We...work…” he began uncertainly, and Gavin raised an eyebrow.

“Doing what?”

“We’re police officers.” When both of them continued to stare dumbly at him, he flushed.

“That is…” He averted his gaze, suddenly embarrassed. He knew very well what his job entailed, but admitting it to someone of another species felt like admitting a serious failure on the part of all humans.

“Well...Humans...humans sometimes...do bad things to eachother, so...so we have police officers to make sure that...that the humans who do bad things to other humans get punished.”

“Humans kill other humans?!” Gavin blurted, having seen through Connor’s attempt at putting it nicely, the dumbfounded shock clear in his voice, and Hank had disgust written clearly all over his face.

“Fucking barbarians,” he said before he could stop himself, regretting it immediately when both brothers suddenly seemed unable to meet their eyes. Connor stared at the floor, and the silence that fell upon them was oppressive.

“H-hey, I’m sorry, that was really shitty of me to say,” Hank stuttered, reaching out to Connor and clearly trying to make amends for what he’d said. He dropped into the water suddenly, and Connor wondered if he had left out of shame, but he jumped up again a second later.

“I’m sorry, kid, really. I’m an asshole sometimes, but...I’m an asshole sometimes. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to come out that harsh.” Connor nodded.

“I...it’s okay. You’re right. We are barbarians. I...That’s why I wanted to be a police officer. The more criminals - people that hurt other people - we get off the street, the safer it becomes.” 

“That’s a real noble cause, Connor,” Gavin cut in, trying to save Hank’s ass. He hated seeing the old man look so sad. “Hank’s the same way, always wanting to help people. It’s why he’s a guard for our home.” He looked briefly off to the side before turning his attention back to the humans in front of him.

“Do...do guards protect against humans?” Connor asked, and Gavin thankfully decided not to mention that there was very little merpeople could do if humans ever found out about them.

“Nah, mostly it’s making sure kids don’t get swept away by the current. Their tails are still weak, so if they’re left unattended or not tucked in properly at night the current’ll sweep them away. It’s scary for little kids. They’re not big enough to fight off predators yet, so we always have to make sure to catch any stray kids. Doesn’t happen often. Mostly guards are a formality, nothing much happens in our little gulf. There’s no humans on the shore, either. Not sure why.”

“The ground on the shore is too soft,” Richard supplied, “It’s not stable enough to build a house on. First time it rained, the house would fall right over because the ground would shift. Ground’s not stable for miles around.” Gavin nodded understandingly.

“Supposedly, when merpeople first came to the gulf, they feared the humans and tried to make caves in the ground to hide from them. Didn’t work. Lots of merpeople died. The gulf was as safe a spot as any, so they made their homes there anyways. Mighta been our fault humans can’t live there. Which, to us...no offence...isn’t exactly a bad thing.” Richard shrugged, and Hank noticed that Connor looked, if not entirely happy yet, at least interested in the turn the conversation had taken. Crisis averted...so long as he kept his mouth under control. Gavin dropped suddenly, but jumped back to hang on the edge of their boat a moment later. He looked aside again, then shrugged.

“So,” Hank said, “What...made you want to come back? Out here, I mean.” He almost added “to us” but decided against it. He didn’t know how human mating practices worked. They might not like being obvious about that sort of thing.

“Uh…” Both brothers stuttered, unsure of how to answer, but their reasoning was plain to see by the flush on both faces, and both Hank and Gavin grinned internally. They were both attracted to one another. Somehow it felt like divine intervention. Gavin cast a longer glance around, frowning. 

“Well,” Richard stammered, “We...wanted to get to know you more. We figured...Well...maybe you were friendly?” That seemed like a nice enough way to put it. Connor nodded approvingly.

“Well...you seemed pretty nice yourselves,” Hank replied, “We were really glad you came back. You know,-”

“Sorry to cut in,” Gavin finally snapped, “but would one of you two softscales pass me a rope or something?” When Richard and Connor turned to stare at him blankly, he sighed exasperatedly and added, “Unless you want me to just let you keep drifting out to sea.”

“We’re not drifting, we dropped the-” A glance away from the two captivating mermen showed that, anchor or no anchor, they had in fact drifted about a mile away from their previous position. 

“The metal thing was meant to hold you in the same spot, right?” Gavin said, “Might as well pull it up. Currents are too strong here for it to be much use. Hank and I’ll just hold you stable.” Richard flushed, and Gavin dipped underwater again before jumping back up to take the rope from Richard and dive back into the water. Hank dove back down with a rope from Connor, and, with a shared nod, Hank and Gavin began towing the boat back to its original position, powerful tails working overtime to pull something that heavy. When they finally arrived back at the outside of the Gulf, the two mermen held the ropes underwater for another minute, chests heaving, clearly exhausted. When they resurfaced, they saw that both brothers were flushed. Richard, Gavin noticed, was anxiously clinging to the side of the boat. He wasn’t sure what it meant, but judging by the flush, it was a good thing.

“Your tails must be...very strong…” Connor said timidly, and Hank grinned, cheeks flushing with pride, and something else.

“They have to be. Merpeople are fighting off the currents from the day they’re born. By the time we’re adults, the muscles in our tails are strong enough to swim from or fight off even the strongest and fastest predators.” 

“And we train hard to become guards, even if it is just a formality,” Gavin added, “Our tails are stronger then most merpeople.” He flexed his tail, a deliberate action this time, and felt a surge of pride when Richard flushed in response. He was getting somewhere. Someway, somehow, he would bond with this human. Hank imitated Gavin in flexing his tail, and Connor flushed deep and ran a hand through his hair to try and keep calm.

“You two are…” Connor paused, searching for words, “Really impressive…” Hank smiled, dipping underwater before jumping up to the side of the boat, looking deep into Connor’s eyes.

“Oh yeah?” He asked, as Gavin dipped and jumped up beside him, eyeing Richard.

“Yeah…” Connor leaned forward, his eyes fluttering closed, and as their lips met Gavin turned to Richard, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.

“Come on, tall guy,” Gavin whispered, “What do you say?” Richard smiled hesitantly, leaning in close.

“...I say yes,” he whispered back, and their lips met as well. Gavin tasted of saltwater, and Richard grimaced at the taste, but the longer the kiss went on the more the saltwater melted away into something uniquely Gavin, and perfectly addictive. Gavin trailed his fingers down Richard’s cheek, prompting a sigh, and when they broke apart Gavin was pleased to note that Richard had lost his perfect composure, looking distracted. 

Connor laughed breathlessly beside him as he pulled away from Hank, and Richard smiled. His first kiss, at twenty-six. Richard didn’t tease him though, he’d seen how upset dad’s teasing had made him. He usually didn’t say anything, as he’d already learned that empty promises of “you’ll find someone” coming from someone who, at the time, had a girlfriend, didn’t help. If he was lucky. If he wasn’t, it made things worse. He was glad for his brother, finding Hank, but he was also perfectly glad if things didn’t work out. Not everyone needed a partner. Sometimes, a brother was all you needed. 

“...You really love your brother, don’t you?” Gavin murmured, bringing him out of his reverie.

“Yeah.” There was a strange sadness in Gavin’s eyes when he spoke next.

“...That’s good. It’s nice to see brothers who love eachother.” Gavin gave him another peck on the lips.

“I promise I won’t get between you two,” he added, and Richard huffed a laugh.

“You couldn’t if you tried.” That was why he and Dot had broken up. She didn’t like Connor, one of them had to go. It wouldn’t be his brother, not in a million years. Richard and Connor were inseparable, if you dated one you were practically dating the other.


	6. Back home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for smut in this chapter!

“...Geez, kid, you just wear your heart all over your face, don’t you?” Hank said suddenly. Connor giggled, and Hank shook his head with a smile.

“Sweet kid.” He dropped back into the water and back up, and Gavin did the same.

“...Why do you do that?” Connor asked, “Jump into the water all the time? Do your scales get dry?”

“Well yeah, but also we need to breathe.” Connor looked shocked, and Richard turned his gaze back to Gavin, who craned his neck to reveal three small slits.

“We have gills, see? We get oxygen from the water, we can’t breathe up here. We take a breath and then hold it while we’re up here talking to you.”

“You hold your breath and talk to us? How do you hold your breath that long?”

“How do you not?” Hank retorted, prompting a smile from Connor. Silence fell upon them for a few moments before Richard spoke up again.

“So, you already know that Connor and I are brothers...how are you two related?”

“Well, we’re both guards. We just sort of became friends,” Gavin replied.

“And we’re both losers,” Hank added.

“Hey, speak for yourself, old man!” Hank snorted with laughter, and Richard and Connor smiled.

“...Anyways,” Gavin continued, “We spend a lot of time together. We get to know eachother. We’ve sort of become friends. Us two losers, just hanging out together. On guard duty.” Richard smiled, Connor smiled…

“I have a suggestion,” Richard said, staring only at Gavin.

“Yeah?” Gavin asked. Richard only grinned wider.

“Connor? Why don’t you take Hank and...go around to the other side of the boat? Gavin and I need some time alone to talk about adult stuff.” He smiled suggestively at Gavin, who licked his lips, getting the message loud and clear.

“Yeah Hank, fuck off for a bit. Give tall guy some breathing room.” Hank took one look at Connor who was now flushed and panting lightly. Heart all over his face, as always. 

“Gladly,” Hank replied, and then to Connor, “I’ll see you on the other side of the boat.”

“Y-yeah, sure.” Hank vanished under the water and Connor staggered to the other side of the boat, and Richard and Gavin locked eyes with eachother. Gavin dropped under water and then came back up.

“So, just out of curiosity,” he said, “Did you have any fucking idea how this was going to work when you made that suggestion?” Richard shrugged.

“We’ll make it work somehow. Mutual masturbation? I figured the how was less important as long as we were together. Gavin smiled, biting his lip.

“I see your point.” Distantly Richard heard his brother.

“I-I’ve never actually...done this before…”

“Kid, you’re about to get it on with a merman, I don’t think anyone has done this before. What’d I tell you about relaxing?” Richard nodded to himself. Connor would figure it out. Leaning forward, Richard kissed Gavin, a slow motion.

“I’m most worried about how you’re going to breathe…” he admitted, “And how long you’ll be able to hang on, with only one arm available to hold the boat.” Gavin kissed him, slowly, but Richard could feel the wheels turning in Gavin’s head.

“...Do you have something that holds water? Like a big container?” he finally asked. Richard pulled away, going to grab one of the old buckets their faster used to use, holding it up for Gavin to see. Gavin nodded.

“Pass it down here for a sec.” Richard tossed it down, and Gavin filled it with seawater before passing it back up to Richard. Seeing those arm muscles work through the shirt...Gavin wondered if muscle-flexing was a common part of human mating practices. It should be.

“Now do you have a little container?” Richard held up a cup, and Gavin nodded approvingly, jumping back up to the boat.

“Alright...Now pour some water on my gills.” He exposed his neck, and Richard dipped the cup into the bucket, filling it and then pouring the whole thing over Gavin’s gills. Gavin closed his eyes, chest expanding.

“...Do it again?” One more time to be sure, and Gavin nodded for the last time, more to himself.

“It works. Hey, Hank!” 

“Do you fuckin’ MIND?!” came the irritated reply a second later, accompanied by a soft giggle from Connor.

“Get Connor to fill a big bucket for you! He can pour water into your gills so you can stay up in the boat while you go at it!” 

“...Really?”

“Just tried it myself, it works!”

“That’s...actually really useful. ...Thanks!”

“Anytime!” Gavin grinned, “Sorry to bother you!” With a grin, Gavin leapt up into the boat, lowering himself to the deck as gently as he could with his tail. Richard smiled, leaning forward to kiss Gavin, lowering him to lay on the deck. 

“Comfy?” He asked.

“No, it feels like shit,” Gavin replied, “But I can tolerate it for you.” Richard smiled, kissing Gavin again. Slowly he moved lower, mouthing the right side of Gavin’s neck. He moved towards the front, and then paused.

“May I?” He asked.

“...Water? ...May you what?” Richard flushed as he poured water on Gavin’s, thankfully unseen by Gavin himself.

“...Kiss your gills…” he finally whispered. Gavin chuckled.

“Go right ahead, they won’t get clogged. In fact, it’s a favourite activity among couples.” Richard let out a relieved huff, then gently placed a kiss on his gills. Gavin sighed, and Richard did it again, mouthing gently. He could feel the gills moving under his mouth, and it was admittedly an odd sensation, but Gavin seemed to enjoy it. Which reminded him…

“...Gavin?” 

“Huh?” Gavin’s eyes fluttered open, hearing the anxiety in Richard’s voice.

‘How...how do I…Sorry…”

“How do you what?”

“Well...How do I...make you feel good?” Gavin’s eyes lit up, and he smiled, taking Richard’s hand.

“It easy,” he soothed him. He placed Richard’s hand on his hip, moving it down the tail.

“Soothing…” When Richard’s hand had gone as far as he could reach, he changed direction, dragging it upward. The movement prompted a shaky gasp and a shudder from Gavin.

“...Arousing,” he finished, gasping for air a little. “So what you do...is just keep moving your hand up. Like this. ...Water?” As Richard poured another cup, Gavin placed Richard’s hand back lower on his tail and pulled it up and then down again, and then repeated the action a few more times for emphasis, already starting to squirm. Richard did it once on his own, and Gavin sighed.

“And...is all of your tail...sensitive?”

“Every last inch,” Gavin gasped, breathless.

“...Anything in particular you like?”

“...Claws.” When he received no response from Richard, Gavin opened his eyes to see a somewhat confused look on his face. Gavin took his hand, placing it down on his tail, and then curved his hand until the nails were pressed to his scales. When he dragged his hand upward this time, making sure the nails were locked in place against his scales, Richard felt his nails scrape and catch on the tip of the scales, like scratching rough sandpaper, and Gavin moaned loudly, closing his eyes and tossing his head back. Enthralled, Richard did it again, on his own, and Gavin just barely held back a wail.

“God, yes, Richard...Water...Go faster, please…”

“Tell me if this is too much, alright?” Richard whispered, and then Richard started scratching as fast as he could over the scales wanting to bring Gavin as much pleasure as possible, and it worked. Gavin keened, clenching his teeth to keep the sounds in as he arched, squirming almost as though he were in pain.

“Yes! RA9 yes, yes Richard, please…! Richard I’m gonna...I’m gonna-” Gavin clenched his teeth tighter, tensing and shuddering violently as a milky substance was released from all over Gavin’s tail at once, making a puddle on the deck. Almost immediately Gavin pushed himself away from Richard, diving back under the water. He emerged a few long seconds later, eyeing Richard with a grimace.

“Sorry for bailing,” he said, “I...needed to breathe properly, water wasn’t gonna cover it.”

“I figured,” Richard replied with a small smile, knowing if he had an orgasm underwater he’d need to come up to gasp for air immediately.

“Now, tall guy,” Gavin purred, pushing Richard down onto his back, “It’s your turn. So...I’m guessing humans are different from merpeople?”

“Yes,” Richard agreed, finally able to pay attention to the painful, throbbing erection he’d been ignoring, “Let me take off my pants first, and then...just rub the big long stick. Gently, though. If you could use some of the water for lubrication…? Our penises are sensitive, they get hurt easily.” Richard shimmied his pants down, and Gavin smirked.

“Aww, your poor sensitive little penis,” he cooed, giving the tip a kiss, “I’ll be gentle, okay?” Gavin plucked the cup from Richard's hand, pouring some water on his head and then on Richard’s member, smiling and raising his eyebrows when Richard gasped and arched.

“S-sorry…” he stuttered, “Just cold, that’s all…” 

“Well I’m sure a little friction will warm you up.” He started stroking then, slowly and gently, like Richard wanted, and Richard sighed, closing his eyes and relaxing. Gavin went a little faster, delighting in the way Richard tensed and moaned a little.

“That’s better. I’m not giving you a massage, I’m getting you off, so I want you to act like it.” Richard chuckled breathlessly, giving another moan.

“...Go faster then.”

“Thought your penis was this poor, sensitive little thing that couldn’t handle it?”

“...Shut up.” Gavin snorted with laughter, rubbing faster, and Richard wasn’t able to do much talking after that. He moaned, arching, and Gavin smiled as he kept up the pace Richard didn’t seem to be as sensitive as he was, but that was alright. With a little time, he was sure Richard would come too. Maybe he just needed a little encouragement.

“Come on, tall guy. Feels good, doesn’t it? Feels good to let it all out?” Richard gasped, clutching at the boat’s deck.

“Yes…” he whispered, “Feels good...Please, Gavin, give me more…” Gavin rubbed more, harder, and Richard arched again and squirmed.

“Gavin, I…”

“You close, tall guy? Come on, Richard, let it out. I gotcha, just get it out.” A few more seconds was all it took for Richard to come into Gavin’s waiting hand, collapsing back onto the deck bonelessly. 

“F-Fuck…”

“Pretty good for a first time, eh?” Richard chuckled.

“Pretty good, yeah…” he breathed. He slowly sat up, grabbing a towel to wipe himself off with.

“...Thank you, Gavin,” he murmured, and Gavin inclined his head.

“Thank you, Richard,” he replied, “You know you’re pretty cool. I...actually...Well...You know, I-”

“Yeah,” Richard cut him off, “Me too.”


	7. Water

“...Are you two lovebirds done over there yet? Some of us are getting old over here!” Gavin scoffed.

“Nevermind getting old, I’m surprised you’re still alive! Wasn’t sure your heart could handle the action!”

“Oh, ha ha!” Hank reappeared on the other side of the boat with Richard and Gavin, and a flushed and embarrassed looking Connor walked around. Richard smiled.

“Here, let me fix your hair.” Connor flushed further, looking away, and Richard hugged him. He was just embarrassed, that was all.

“Kid needs to get home, I bet,” Hank said gently.

“And you need to get to a hospital,” Gavin chipped.

“Fuck off.” Connor smiled timidly, but nodded.

“I’d like to go home, yes,” he said, “That was...I need to rest.” Gavin raised his eyebrows, and Hank beamed.

“I’m just that good. Poor kid needs a rest now.”

“Ho-ly shit,” Gavin said, accentuating each syllable. Richard smiled.

“Actually, I’m feeling a little faint myself,” he lied, for Gavin’s dignity, “I think we’ll both rest when we get home.” Gavin smirked.

“Need us to swim your boat back? Seeing as how you’re both feeling faint and all.” 

“No, we’ll be fine,” Richard said, “Don’t you worry about us.” 

***

Richard was thirsty. He got a glass of water.

“Hey, give me some of that,” Connor said the moment he laid eyes on Richard’s glass of water. He took Richard’s half-empty cup of water and chugged the rest. Richard took his cup back, filled it, and then filled another for Connor.

“We never did talk about yesterday,” he said, prompting a flush from Connor.

“There’s not much to talk about…” he said, avoiding eye contact, and Richard smiled as he pulled up a chair at their table.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine, but I know from firsthand experience that there’s plenty to talk about. So do you not want to talk, or do you just not know where to start?”

“...The second one,” Connor admitted.

“Alright. Was it good?” Connor nodded, flushing bright red.

“Okay, good. Did Hank use his hand or his mouth?” Connor, looking brighter than a tomato, held up two fingers. 

“Gavin used his hand with me,” Richard said, flushing a little. He didn’t want Connor to be the only one admitting personal details, “And Gavin let me lick his gills.” Connor nodded.

“...Hank let you lick his gills too?” Connor nodded again.

“Okay, good. Did you like it?” Connor nodded.

“Okay. I got to use my hand to help make Gavin feel good too, did you get there with Hank?” Connor shook his head.

“I…” he stammered, voice tiny, “I came too fast…”

“...Did Hank laugh at you?”

“No…”

“Good.” He said it firmly. If Hank had laughed at Connor for finishing quickly his first time…

“...Hank...helped himself. You know…” Richard nodded in understanding.

“Good. Hank seems good. You know it’s perfectly natural to come quickly your first time, Connor. Don’t be ashamed. Be proud. You made love with a merman, and your first time was a blowjob. A good one. Having a good first time is a gift, Connor. Cherish it.” Connor nodded jerkily.

“...Can we stop talking now?” Richard chuckled.

“...Yes.”

***

Richard filled a bottle of water for the day at work. Connor did too.

“Not gonna chug six cups of coffee before nine like usual?” A coworker asked. Richard only shrugged.

“Water’s good for you,” he said simply. He refilled his water bottle twice before noon. Shrugging it off, he decided it was nothing. He was just thirsty. Besides, water was good for you. It could hardly be a bad thing that he wanted water.

This trend continued throughout the week, with both Richard and Connor chugging water like it was a commodity. Their coworkers thought they were doing some kind of detox or something. Richard and Connor eventually were forced to take time off, since they could barely get a sentence out without needing to drink water. 

“Get yourselves to a damn doctor,” Fowler snapped at the pair of them. With their newfound time off, they decided to do just that.

“...Well, I’ll be honest...I’m a little worried,” the doctor said, “Your pulses are through the floor, and I’m hearing some wheezing. I’m going to refer you to a pulmonologist. In the meantime, I suggest you lie low, keep physical activity to an absolute minimum. If it gets any worse, get to a hospital. Okay?”

“And the water?” Richard asked, having to take another sip.

“...I can’t be sure. It could be that the water is helping soothe your throat. We’ll have to wait and see what the pulmonologist says.”

“How long will it take to get an appointment?”

“...About a month.” Connor clenched his teeth, and Richard nodded.

“...Thank you, doctor.” They’d learned nothing.

“...Can we go out...on the water...after this?” Connor asked, mindful of the fact that they were still in the doctor’s office, and Richard nooded.

“Absolutely,” he said.


	8. Quick Visit

“You both look like shit,” Hank said, a concerned frown on his face. 

“Yeah...we’re getting sick or something,” Connor said, “Probably bronchitis or something like that.”

“What’s bronchitis? Is it bad?” 

“Uh...It’s when our lungs get infected, so we can’t breathe well.”

“So...very bad.”

“Not really. We’ve got drugs and stuff to cure the infection so we can get better, it’s just, well, there’s a special kind of doctor that deals only with lung problems, and he’s busy because he’s a specialist, so it’ll be a month before we can get in to see him. So whatever’s happening to us is gonna have a month to get worse. And...it’s been getting worse pretty fast.”

“...So you’re worried.”

“...A little.”

“Well...hey, you should be fine, right?” Connor nodded, and Hank dipped and then jumped up.

“You’ll be fine, kid. Relax. I don’t know much about humans, but you don’t look like you’re dying.” Hank kissed him, deeply and passionately, and Connor melted. Hank’s kisses felt so good, they made him see stars, made him feel dizzy, and weak…

“...Kid?”

“Connor!! CONNOR!!” Connor blinked, finding himself on the ground, with both Hank and Richard bending over him anxiously. Gavin smiled. Richard’s love for his brother knew no bounds. He would always be second to Connor, no matter how close they got. He was alright with that. 

“...Richard? I...was standing...What happened?”

“...You passed out, Connor. Are you alright? What happened?” 

“I...started to feel lightheaded…Like I couldn’t breathe…” Richard’s face darkened. A month. They had to wait a month. With Connor already passing out from lack of oxygen...No, they couldn’t wait. They had to get a hospital. In a month...they could both be dead.

“Alright, you lay there, I’m taking you to a hospital, Hank, Gavin, I’m sorry but we have to leave.” Connor grimaced. Richard always got like this when he was worried about him. 

“Richard, I’m alright. I was just holding my breath kissing Hank. As long as I breathe normally I’ll be fine.”

“Connor, you need a hospital. I won’t let this get any worse.”

“I’m alright. It’s only a month, Richard, we can get through this. We just need to take it easy. Look...if you insist, we’ll go back to shore, and if I’m not better by the time we get back, you can take me to the hospital. Alright?” Richard looked torn.

“...Go on, tall guy. Take your bro to the doctor. Just...be okay, okay?” Richard nodded, face contorting in grief. He held his arms out to Gavin, who jumped up. Gavin kissed Richard gently, pulling back with a smile.

“Take care of your brother, Richard. Take care of yourself. We’ll be here when you get back.” Gavin sniffed. He couldn’t let himself crack, not when Richard needed him to be strong. He held his smile until Richard nodded, kissing him again.

“We’ll be back, I promise.” Gavin nodded, he and Hank both letting go of the boat. Connor sighed, and Richard nodded before starting up the boat. Gavin dived underwater, as did Hank.

“Gavin. ...Kid?” Gavin choked out a laugh. Hank hadn’t called him kid in a long time. Not since he was a junior guardian. He thought he’d long since stopped being a kid who needed to be protected, but perhaps he still was...at least right now. Hank put a hand on his shoulder, and he turned, burying his face in Hank’s chest. The water hid his tears, but his face showed them plainly.

“Hey, kid...He’s gonna be okay. He’s gonna be okay.” Hank sighed, repeating those words over and over again. Gavin knew that Hank would say them as long as it took for him to believe them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter because the climax is next chapter.


	9. At The Hospital

Connor couldn’t even stand. He was even having trouble just sitting up, and that worried Richard. He ordered him to sit and rest, leave driving the boat to him, and drive he did, as fast as their little boat would allow. He’d call the hospital the moment they were in range. Whatever this was, he wanted it fixed. His brother was the only real relationship he had in his life, aside from the newly acquired Gavin. He couldn’t bear to lose him.

“Connor, how are you feeling?”

“A little...lightheaded…”

“Okay, we’re almost there. Just try to stay calm, okay?” Connor nodded. Too busy driving the boat, Richard turned around to see, and Connor nodded again, closing his eyes.

“This is the starfish to the marina. Tina, I need you to call an ambulance. Connor’s short of breath, and I want to get him checked out.”

“Is he okay?”

“Well no, I’m calling an ambulance! He passed out earlier, and he’s not recovering.” He felt something in him change, like the burst of energy had overtaxed him.

“Okay, okay. How far out are you?” 

“Ten...ten minutes maybe?” No, not him too, he needed to get Connor to the hospital!

“Okay, the ambulance will be here.”

“Thank you, Tina.” He needed to rest. If he passed out now...but somebody had to drive the boat. He knelt, and immediately Connor was on him about it.

“Richard…?” 

“I’m just going to get us to shore.”

“Are you...not breathing, too?” Richard nodded.

“Just...started a minute ago.” Connor didn’t say anything after that.

When they arrived back at the marina, the ambulance attendants were there at the edge of the dock.

“Con-Connor first,” Richard insisted breathlessly, looking over at his brother. He looked like he was struggling to stay awake.

“I’m fine...Connor murmured, “Just need to...rest…” They were both raced to the hospital and into a machine, and mere minutes later the doctor had results.

“It’s serious,” he said gravely, “The alveoli in your lungs are deteriorating. They’re simply not accepting the oxygen in the air anymore. It looks like they’re changing, like you’ll have to get oxygen another way. Unless we figure out what that is...you’ll suffocate.” Richard nodded, as did Connor. They already had a hunch as to how they would get their oxygen. A good one.

“Thank you...doctor...”

“Naturally I’d like to keep you here to keep an eye on you both.” They nodded, and the doctor stood. 

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, alright?” They nodded, but as soon as the doctor left, they were up and “looking for the washroom”, sneaking out minutes later. They called a cab to take them back to the marina, and during the ride there, Richard held his cell phone up to Connor. This time when they left the marina, they wouldn’t be coming back. If there was anyone they wanted to call they had to do it now. Connor stared at the phone, deep in thought, then shook his head. Popular as he was at work, he had no real friends. Richard nodded, looking down at his phone.

Text to: Jeffery Fowler

[Thanks for giving me all that time off whenever Connor was sick.]

[No problem. Is everything alright?]

[Yeah. Just felt like saying thanks.]

[You sure you’re okay?]

[Fine. Don’t worry about me. Just feeling sentimental.]

[Didn’t think I’d see the day.]

Richard smiled then put his phone down, offering it to Connor one last time. Connor shook his head again. Richard nodded, wrapping an arm around his brother. Whatever happened, at least they were together.


End file.
